Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast on October 29, causing severe damage to the petroleum refining and distribution sector -- including pipelines, refineries, bulk terminals, and ports.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

Utility officials say the problem isn't just that hundreds of miles of power lines are down, but that the entire infrastructure, including major transmission and distribution lines and power plants themselves, suffered significant damage.

NPR: Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Mississippi

Damage to the grid: Power surges and electrical system failure due to high loads can cause power outages and damage to BC Hydro equipment and infrastructure, including the premature failure of distribution transformers.

FORBES: Electricity Theft: A Bigger Issue Than You Think

New products, services, distribution paths and business models would appear out of nowhere and cause damage to the old and slow.

FORBES: The Incredibly Uneven Recovery